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Stretching her arms out, she asks, “What’s interval running?”
“Basically switching off running fast and slow. It prepares you better for your bouts in the ring.”
“I’d like to see you box sometime.” She pauses, then blinks. “I mean, all the participants in the study. You know, whatever their sport is.” She twists her hands together in front of her. “Speaking of, do you have your questionnaire filled out?”
That’s right. I never gave it to her.
I hitch a thumb toward my apartment. “I’ll give it to you after this.”
She fans her face, her cheeks still flushed. “I’m done for the night. That kind of took it out of me.”
Maybe if she’s serious about this we should work on her endurance next. She wouldn’t last one round in the ring.
“Okay, I’ll go get the paper, then.”
“Um, could I come with you?”
I frown, mentally calculating how messy my apartment is. I wasn’t expecting her to come over.
“I wanted to meet Boots,” she explains, smoothing her palms down the sides of her shirt.
She wants to meet my cat?
“But I don’t have to,” she rushes to say. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have invited myself. You can give me the questionnaire on Tuesday.”
“No, it’s fine. As long as you don’t mind a little mess. I don’t normally have visitors, but Boots will love having someone new around.”
Her eyes light up in response.
Really? That’s all it takes to make her happy? Visiting a cat?
“Come on.”
I grab my keys out of my pocket and lead her across the hall, holding open the door for her.
“Will she hide if I come in?” She cautiously walks in, glancing around the main area.
I do a quick visual sweep myself, finding nothing too embarrassing laying out. If the worst thing out is a mostly empty beer bottle on the coffee table from dinner, then I’m okay.
“Probably not. She doesn’t hide when Danielle stops by.”
She turns to look over at me. “Is that your girlfriend?”
“No.” I clear my throat, hating how fast that came out. “My sister.”
“Right. The one who’s two years younger.”
She remembers that?
There’s a thud from the direction of my bedroom, and then Boots saunters out, opening her jaws wide in a yawn.
Tessa gives a quiet squeal, holding her fists to her mouth. “She’s even cuter in person.”
She bends down and holds out a hand, making soft kissing sounds to attract her.
Boots approaches with no issue, rubbing her cheek on Tessa’s outstretched fingers.
Tessa looks up at me, her dark eyes shining with excitement. “She likes me.”
